Bird will direct from a screenplay by Lisa Owens, who penned acclaimed novel Not Working.

Days of the Bagnold Summmer, which was shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Award for Best Novel, tells the story of an idle summer in the lives of a shy fifteen-year-old heavy metal fan and his librarian mother, capturing the tension, pathos and affection of a mother-son relationship.

The pic, which is going into production this summer, is part-funded by Creative England with support from talent development org BFI.Network and is seeking additional funding. Robert Sterne of Nina Gold Casting is casting the title.

Bird directed the short Ernestine and Kit, based on a short story by Kevin Barry, which was produced by Stigma Films in 2015 and premiered at SXSW. It was nominated for Best Short Film at last year’s Irish Film and Television Awards. As an actor, Bird has starred in series such as Friday Night Dinner but is best known for his role as Will in Channel 4’s hit sitcom The Inbetweeners and The Inbetweeners Movie.